Avenging
by Gree
Summary: Inquisitor Fury gathers some of the strangest beings in the Imperium to defend it. A fusion fic with Warhammer 40k. Originally posted over at Spacebattles.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**This is an idea that I had floating about that I've finally decided to post. I've done some stuff with Marvel and 40k and this is an attempt at a 40k/Avengers crossover. Well it's actually more like a fusion, but it has some crossover elements. You'll see what I mean. Although the title is a bit misleading, only Thor, Fury and Coulson show up so far.

Also thanks to scriviner for editing this. If you spot any mistakes let me know.

* * *

The Inquisitorial fortress on Tesserata Prime was a grim forbidding structure carved right out of a mountain. Established four millennia ago as a center for Ordo operations, it was constructed with some of the finest defenses in the Imperium of Man. Underneath the protective veil of a high grade void shield, dozens of tall forbidding towers jutted out of the black rock below. Dozens of more complexes and buildings were linked deeper underground. All sorts of facilities were available at Tesserata Prime.

And now two figures walked on the top floors of one of the towers.

''They're not happy you know.'' Inquisitor Drax told his colleague. Drax was a slender man of medium height, his features covered by his hood, leaving only his pale lower face exposed in a worried frown.

''I'm aware of the Mechanicus's problems with Magos Stark.'' Inquisitor Lord Fury replied. He was a tall muscular dark-skinned man wearing a set of carapace armor and a stormcoat over that. Unlike many Inquisitors he had no ornate finery or baroque warplate. His sole major features were the Inquisitorial rosette at his belt and his bionic eye that glowed crimson in the shadows.

''Even your influence extends only so far old friend.'' Drax reminded him.

''I'm not inclined to argue the finer points of Mechanicus doctrine with you now. However Magos Stark had defended himself quite well in the theological courts.'' Fury told him.

''What about Banner? He's all sorts of trouble.'' Drax asked.

''He's a Doomsday weapon-'' Fury began.

''He's an abomination.'' His compatriot hissed.

''-That may be. I've certainly heard many call him that. But He's an abomination in the service of the Emperor. I have countermeasures in place.'' Fury reassured him.

''For everyone's sake let's hope so. Stark was fine enough, but I warn you some or our colleagues are growing more and more concerned about some of the methods you are using in your service.'' Drax mused.

''I was given a mandate by my late mentor to protect the Imperium. I will use whatever methods I deem fit to do that. So far nothing I've used is explicitly heretical or connected to the Ruinous Powers, no matter what some of my rivals may claim.'' Fury looked at him.

Suddenly the two were interrupted by a vox-bead on Fury's stormcoat. Fury touched the link on his coat and activated the communications rune.

''This is Fury.''

''Inquisitor Fury this is Agent Coulson. I have news from Grentax II.'' The voice of Agent Coulson sounded in his ear. Coulson was one of his best field agents in Fury's staff.

''Well then?'' Fury asked.

''The hammer. We found it.'' Coulson told him.

''Excellent. Prepare to extract.''

''Ahem, there is a complication sir.''

''What kind of complication?''

''Someone else has it.''

* * *

Lightning crackled in the sky as the Deathwatch kill-team frantically moved through the shattered remains of a long dead city. In the distance sounded the screams and howls of daemons and heretics, along with the ever present sound of gunfire.

''He's coming, I can feel him!''' Codicer Rooks of the Howling Griffons hissed in pain, rivulets of blood running down his eyes and nose.

''Who?'' asked Magni of the Space Wolves. He was a tall powerfully built Astartes with long blonde hair toughly bound in a scalp lock. Ice blue eyes stared out as he grimaced, revealing his fangs. He clutched his chainsword and bolt pistol with apprehension. He wore a grey wolf pelt over his black armor.

Magni was the most recent initiate of the deathwatch. Having spent over a century of service in the Space Wolves the Grey Hunter had been selected to join the prestigious ranks of the Deathwatch and represent Russ's sons across the galaxy. Grentax II was a world in the grip of Chaos. Initially the Deathwatch had been sent to help against a murdering Chaos warband, only to find out that the situation was actually far worse than previously thought.

Instead of a small Word Bearers warband it was a much larger force that had quickly pushed aside the Guard regiments that were defending the world. Magni's ten-man kill team had already been reduced to a mere four members.

They had sent a distress call and three companies of the Aurora Chapter were being mobilized to respond, but the situation was already deteriorating quickly. The Deathwatch was already being forced to retreat through the ruins of one of Grentax II's older cities.

''A Greater Daemon. The King of Bloodthirsters. I dare not speak his name.'' Rooks hissed. Magni felt sympathy for the man, but now was not the time to stop.

The kill-team had been trying to move towards some sort of safe spot where they could safely regroup. They had already passed through some sort of underground passageway several hours ago and were only heading deeper.

''They have sent possessed Astartes to hunt us down Captain. I can feel the touch of the daemonic behind us.'' Rook told Captain Beren of the Raven Guard. The Watch-Captain nodded grimly as they headed deeper.

''Stop, this looks like a good defensive position, we can't run forever.'' Beren commanded as the kill-team members quickly moved out.

Magni took a moment to study the cavern they were in. The kill-team had evidently stumbled into some sort of large temple or a tomb. Faded carvings and inscriptions filled the wall along with worn weathered statues of some sort of ancient warriors.

The Space Wolf's enhanced senses could smell the weight of ages and the aroma of dust. However his eyes spotted something else in the gloom. A thin ray of sunlight illuminated what looked like some sort of hammer stuck in an altar in the middle of the room.

Magni took a few steps closer, looking over the thing. It did not appear rusted at all despite lying in some forgotten crypt for Russ knows how long. He could spot some sort of inspiration on the handle, in some sort of long dead language he did not quite understand.

''What is this place?'' he asked.

''Legends tell that this planet was the final resting day of a dead god, who was slain in a mighty battle with an evil serpent demon.'' Setonis answered. The Blood Raven had obviously done his research.

''Ignore it. We have more pressing matters.'' Beren said. Magni nodded and took up position.

Magni smelled them before he saw them. His senses detected the stink of warp corruption in the air, the familiar stench of mutated flesh before he saw crimson shapes dart through the darkness with inhuman speed.

The loud shriek of bolters filled the air as the Deathwatch team opened fire. Multiple bolter rounds stuck the first of the Word Bearers, tearing off the daemon-possessed marine's head as its body hit the floor hard. Then the Word Bearers reached close quarters.

Magni activated his chainsword with a throaty roar as he leapt into battle with a howl. He immediately engaged in combat with a bull-horned Word Bearer who attacked him with some sort of twisted claws, all around him the rest of the team responded. Blades and claws clashed in a swirling confused melee.

Setonis was the first to fall, a trio of Word Bearers dragging him down and ripping out his throat even as he stabbed at them with his combat knife. The Blood Raven refused to scream even as he was ripped limb from limb.

Then died Rooks. The Librarian shouted praises to the Emperor and Guilliman as he fired off bolts of lightning. He took out three of the possessed before a fourth one jumped on him and bit his head off with inhuman died as a two-headed possessed leapt at him and vomited some sort of corrosive blood, first his ceramite armor melted off in lumps, then his flesh as collapsed on the ground, his body just dsissolving rapidly.

Magni fell back, fighting every step of the way. He had already managed to hack off the arm of one of the possessed and behead another, but the remaining five possessed were closing in, arms and tentacles outstretched and hemming him in.

One of them leapt, reverse-jointed mutant claws propelling the possessed Astartes through the air in a swift motion. He collided hard with Magni who landed hard on tomb-altar. The Space Wolf felt his chainsword fall out of his grasp as the enhanced strength of the possessed warrior knocked it away. The Wolf felt claws close around his neck as he struggled against the hands of the traitor. His left arm flailed around, grasping for his chainsword as he used his right arm to punch the traitor marine repeatedly.

Then he felt his hand close around something and he tugged.

Lightning filled the air as the possessed was literally blasted off Magni. The other Word Bearers stepped back in shock as the figure before them rose in the air, forks of lightning rolling off his body. The Space Wolf suddenly stared at the hammer in his fist. He had never felt so much power in his life! All his fatigue was gone and he felt like he could shatter mountains.

He looked over the slaughtered bodies of his Deathwatch brothers and then at the forms of the possessed who seemed to be momentarily stunned. Then they attacked, inhuman daemon scream erupting out of their mouths.

''For the Allfather!'' the Space Wolf howled, his hammer just smashing the first Word Bearer into bits as he sent another flying right into the cavern wall. Arcs of electricity crackled in the air as he promptly unleashed a massive blast from the hammer.

* * *

Dark Apostle Revian smiled through thin lips as the ritual was reaching its apex. Eight hundred and eighty-eight cultists chanted praises to the Blood God as they prepared to summon Ka'Bandha, one of Khorne's most favored.

With his power at their side they would sweep away the Imperial dogs and claim this world in the name of chaos. Already overhead dark stormclouds were forming as the chanting of the Word Bearers and their cultists reached its apex. All the correct summoning circles and lines had been prepared. In the center sat Warrior-Brother Utonis, who would serve as the fleshy vessel for Ka'Bandha's glory.

''Praise the Word!'' Utonis shouted.

''Praise the Word! In the name of the Dark Gods!'' Revian gave the signal. Eight hundred and eighty-eight cultists drew their ceremonial daggers and plunged it into their necks all at once. Blood filled the ground from ruptured jugular veins as Utonis screamed.

Blood and warpstuff filled the air as Utonis rose high in the air, an unholy red light shining from his eyes as he was enveloped in the essence of the daemon king. The Word Bearer exploded in a shower of blood, a massive figure filling the air where he once stood.

Standing twice as tall as a Dreadnought walker, Ka'Bandha roared. Bloodletters shimmering into existence around him, hellblades raised in tribute to the towering red-skinned monster. A crown of horns decorated his brow as the daemon raised its massive axe and spread its gargantuan wings. Then suddenly a figure slammed into the daemon, flinging Ka'Bandha back a half a mile. The Bloodthirster suddenly howling in pain and ancient magic ruptured his flesh and cracked his bones. Ka'Bandha hit the ground with a massive thud before it got up in a flurry of flapping wings.

Magni stood before him, a defiant look on his face as he gripped the hammer with determination. Arcs of electricity crackled around the Space Wolf's black armor as his grey wolf cloak flapped in the wind. The daemon's eyes flickered to observe the hammer. He knew what it was.

_**''You wield the thunder god's hammer human, but you know nothing of its true power.''** _Ka'Bandha growled in an inhumanly deep voice.

''Silence vile one!'' Magni flew at him again at Ka'Bandha raised his axe. The two collided in a thunderous clap as the pair of mighty titans battled it out, axe against hammer, daemon against Astartes as the two flew higher and higher.

Perhaps it was a side effect of the hammer but Magni could feel himself growing more resilient. He had already taken several axe blows yet he remained strong, striking it against the daemon again and again in titanic battle.

This had to be a gift from the Emperor, he decided. Where else could such power come from? Such strength and speed? Such incredible things? Magni knew he was no psyker, but now he was commanding the lightning and winds like the greatest of the Rune Priests.

He struck the hammer again and again into the daemon as he twisted in the air. Ka'Bandha howled and rage and pain as he struck out, his axe drawing blood from Magni as the Space Wolf took the hammer and smashed it down in a two-handed blow. Ka'Bandha's head exploded in a shower of gore as the daemon's massive body fell to the ground in a great thud. Dust rose up high in the air as the Space Wolf landed on the ground, hammer in hand as he faced the group of Word Bearers.

''Whose next?''

* * *

Captain Tullius of the Aurora Chapter muttered final prayers to Guilliman as his drop pod descended into the atmosphere. The Second, Third and Fourth Companies of the Aurora Chapter were all being sent to Grentax II to combat the force of the hated Word Bearers.

Tullius was eager to face the Word Bearers as was any true son of Guilliman. It was Lorgar who was the hated rival of Guilliman and who had betrayed the Ultramarines at Calth, inflicting heavy losses on the Ultramarines and devastating the planet. The pod's runes blinked down until the inevitable planet fall. The pod hit the ground at speeds which would have killed or crippled a normal man. Only the Astartes in their sealed power armor could survive that kind of fall.

As the drop pod hit the ground the doors blew out and Tullius unhooked himself from the restraint harness, grabbing his power sword and storm bolter, ready for a fight with Lorgar's hated sons. He was surprised.

The Aurora Chapter Captain was greeted by a field of heretic corpses strewn across as far as the eye would see. There was only a single figure that Tullius could see, a Deathwatch Astartes, a Space Wolf by the look of him, sitting on a rock with a hammer in his hands. He looked up.

''What took you so long?''


	2. Chapter 2

**Author"s Note:** Here is the next snippet. you see any spelling or grammar mistakes then please point them out.

Alpha: As for explaining Stark and the Hulk, both are essentially under Fury's protection. Or at least Stark is. The Hulk is less a team member here and a doomday weapon employed as a last resort. Stark can at least hide under Fury's Inquisitorial protection.

**Marsen Primaris. Segmentum Tempestus. .996 M41**

Ten alabaster giants stood proudly as they poured bolter fire into the orkoid hordes. Varion Nicanor tracked and killed ork after ork with clinical shots while the Cadian Guardsmen poured las-fire into the orks.

Marsen Primaris was just one of the many manufactorum worlds in the Segmentum Tempestus, but the Imperium was loath to let it fall to the orks. Naturally, the Praetors of Orpheus had been one of the forces that had responded to the call. A Second Founding Chapter of the Ultramarines, they were oath-sworn to respond to the help of a Mechanicus-affilated world like Marsen Primaris.

Squad Nicanor of the Praetors Third Company was just one of the many forces deployed to bolster the Imperial defenses on this world. At first the Third Company had great success, but the arrival of fresh orkish reinforcements had forced them on the defenses. Captain Atreus had fought a magnificent battle against the orks, applying his Primarch's Codex Astartes masterfully, making the orks pay for every step they took. Truly the Guard and the Astartes fought heroically against great odds.

Marsen Prime's forge cites were blasted and strewn with rubble from ork guns as countless orks and Guardsmen fought in the streets. But now Squad Nicanor had the bad luck of facing down the ork warboss himself. Varion Nicanor was a veteran of over a century and a half's worth of conflicts against the Imperium of Mankind. Born on the world of Orpheus Prime and inducted into the noble ranks of the Praetors, very little usually ranked him.

But even he gritted his teeth and muttered an oath at the sight of the massive ork warlord advancing across the rubble strewn plaza. The ork was fully two heads taller than the next biggest ork and was clad in a crude suit of ceramite plates that hissed and clanked. Around him were a half-dozen hulking ork bodyguards.

It lifted some sort of crude energy cannon and fired a massive bolt of plasma at the Imperial lines. Nicanor saw Brother Aerion's upper half disintegrated by the blast. His twin hearts beat with hatred as he shouted orders for Brother Rerion to bring up the heavy bolter and focus fire.

Squad Nicanor stood little chance of surviving the ork warlord's personal attentions. But they could hopefully have a chance of taking it down and helping the Imperial war effort on some manner by cutting the head off the beast.

''Brother-Sergeant!'' Lukias, the squad's second in command abruptly voxed him.

''Yes?''

''Reinforcements are inbound.''

''Thank Guilliman. How many?'' Nicanor questioned as his helm's targeter-runes selected one of the bodyguards, he squeezed the trigger and the ork's head erupted in a however of brain matter. The ork's body staggered forward for several steps before finally collapsing. Unconcerned the Warboss and his men charged forward right into the teeth of the Imperial defenses.

''One,'' Lukias reported.

_''One_,'' Nicanor repeated in disbelief. Then there was a loud cracking noise and a burst of light. Nicanor's visor immediately polarized. He recognized a teleport burst of course. He saw a single black-armored figure appear.

It was a Deathwatch Astartes. Judging by the ornate armor he was a Watch-Captain. Nicanor saw the symbol of the Ultramarines outlined on a blue field on one shoulder guard. Then the Captain shifted and Nicanor's heart leapt as he saw the figure's other heraldry, a white star and an aquila.

He knew who this was. Any Ultramarine or Ultramarine successor knew who this was. This was Servius Regulus, an ancient hero-captain of the Ultramarines who had fought in the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.

In the aftermath of the Heresy, Regulus had pursued a vile Word Bearer Chaos Lord unto a warp rift. After almost ten millennia he was thought lost until they discovered his shattered ship fused to a space hulk that vomited out of the warp. Amazingly the Ultramarines who found the ship discovered he was still alive. They tested him in every way. Librarians tested him. Chaplains tested him. The Ultramarines even brought the Inquisition to see for any hint or any kind of corruption at all. They found none. Regulus was completely pure and untainted.

Nicanor remembered the day he got the news. The entire Praetors Chapter had celebrated. The Emperor had smiled upon the sons of Guilliman.

With that Regulus declined to return to the ranks of the Ultramarines chapter proper. They already had their own set of Captains and he felt too much had changed for his liking. Instead he volunteered for the Deathwatch and the most dangerous missions he could take in the Emperor's name.

Nicanor studied this man and the military campaigns when he was just a scout-initiate in the Praetors 10th Company. He was a legendary hero. Nicanor briefly gazed at the round relic-shield. According to legends the shield had been found in some ancient Terran vaults and was completely indestructible. The Emperor himself had allegedly presented it to the Ultramarines Legion on crusade.

Rapidly, Regulus moved into combat, legion blade gleaming with white fire as he raised his shield. The warboss roared and fired the crude plasma rifle at him, but the Ultramarine's shield protected him as he moved in to close quarters.

The shield slammed into the warboss's face, the strange metal of the shield shattering the armored jaw of the xenos warlord. The Watch-Captain spun around, legion blade beheading an ork bodyguard and removing the limb for another.

An ork power claw rebounded off the Captain's shield as Regulus blocked a power claw with his legion blade before smashing the shield into another ork bodyguard and beheading another. In less than ten seconds all of the orks bodyguards were dead and Regulus faced off with the ork warboss.

The thing roared at him, sending drool and gore over the Ultramarine. The Watch-Captain stoically ignored that and proceeded to engage in close quarter combat with the ork warlord, legion blade raised.

Power claw and relic sword clashed as the Captain blocked blow after blow with his shield. Nicanor shouted orders to gun down any orks that tried to interfere as the two mighty warriors fought out to the bloody finish.

Then, with a silver-white flash, Regulus's blade removed the ork's head. The massive skull of the ork warlord hit the ground and rolled away. The huge body of the ork fell to the floor in a thud as the Captain headed into battle again.

After four more bloody minutes of combat the Imperials finally managed to finish off the ork presence here. Nicanor walked up to the Watch-Captain who took care to clean his sword and shield of ork gore.

The Captain's winged helm turned to look at him. ''The Praetors of Orpheus correct? The Second Founding?''

''Yes sir,'' Nicanor nodded.

''I knew him. Caius Orpheus I mean. That was before the Second Founding though. He would be proud of you.'' Regulus said, referenced the legendary first Chapter Master of the Praetors of Orpheus. The nostalgia in his voice was obvious.

''Sir. We're honored to have you here,'' Nicanor said. The Space Marine's own surprise was hidden by his helmet, but even he couldn't entirely hide his excitment from his voice. Here he was meeting a living hero in the flesh.

''No, the honor is mine to fight alongside such brave men. I'm glad to know the Emperor has servants just as brave as they were during the Great Crusade,'' Regulus said.

''Sir, are there more reinforcements coming along?'' Major Sykes, the Cadian officer asked.

''Yes. Elements of the Aurora Chapter and the Valhallan Guard are moving to support,'' Regulus told him. Nicanor knew both of them well. The Aurora were another Ultramarine successor chapter that specialized in armored warfare and the Vallhallans were known for their hatred of orks.

''How are your troops Major? How are the men?'' the Ultramarine continued. Nicanor detected a note of genuine concern in the Captain's voice.

''We're managing sir,'' Sykes told him.

''Captain Atreus will want to meet with you sir,'' Nicanor informed.

''Of course. We'll do that. We must be prepared for an immediate counter-offensive to link up…'' Regulus immediately began to issue a series of orders. Quickly the Praetors and the Cadians began their counter-attack.

* * *

Above, ramshackle ork fighters screamed through the skies, firing weaponry down at Imperial forces below. Above Marsen Primaris, a whole new air front was opened up. Currently it was an evenly matched struggle but that was changed soon.

A single red and gold figure flew rapidly behind the fighter craft and raised a single gauntlet. A crimson laser then cut through one of the wings of the fighters and sent it plummeting to the ground. Another blast cored another ork fighter, sending scraps of metal spinning into the air. Magos Stark took a casual swoop down into the streets below, helm-targeters selecting several ork armored vehicles moving up a highway into the city. The Magos then selected a set of missiles from his battlesuit and fired.

Red-orange explosions bloomed on the highway below as the missiles took out several ork IFVs. The red and gold form of Magos Stark then flew right into another street and landed on the ground below in a metallic thud.

The armor he wore was a work of art beyond anything in the Imperium. He had found it on one of the long-forgotten tech-vaults beneath Terra during one of his trips to humanity's homeworld. There he found a relic from before the Dark Age of Technology, a battlesuit that had he eagerly reconstructed.

Some of the more hardline elements in the Mechanicus argued that the tech he used and the innovative elements he had in developing it were heretical. But Stark himself argued that everything he did was the Omnissiah's will and fully sanctioned by Mechanicus laws if you just interpreted it right. Stark himself has his position strengthened by Inquisitor Fury's patronage.

Stark had repaid that debt by serving in Fury's own personal task force to put out brushfires. Stark had then met all sorts of people there. Fury had indeed collected some of the best fighters and warriors in the Imperium, but not all of them were exactly what Stark expected.

One thing was for sure, Stark himself was fascinated by the ancient data-banks and the technology in that long-forgotten storehouse. While his rivals in the Mechanicus had made opposition to any sort of mass production of his armor, Stark himself took to the field as much as he could with this armor.

While Stark preferred his workshops to the battlefield, he couldn't ignore the dire straits humanity was in. He saw a chance to help humanity. When Stark found that armor, he realized he could make a real difference.

Before him, on a rubble-strewn street, Stark's sensors saw the form of a plundered Leman Russ rumble down the street towards a group of Cadian guardsmen. The orks had probably captured it during the initial stages of their invasion. Star raised a gauntlet and fired a single rocket.

''_Tank missile,''_ Stark grinned with what remained of his organic face beneath his helmet as the Leman Russ tank exploded in a shower of metal. The Magos then flew past the cheering Cadians as he headed into the skies again.

While like all good Imperial citizens, Stark despised orks, not only for their xenos nature but for also their haphazard and ramshackle approach to technology. They had no elegance or art at all to their work. Stark honestly had a great time blowing them apart.

Below he saw the various Imperial forces slug it out with the orks. He saw the camo patterns of the Cadian and the Vallhallan regiments along with the dull ochre of the local PDF. He saw the white and blue of the Praetors of Orpheus.

Ah, the Praetors. Stark knew them well. They were a chapter with close ties to the Mechanicus. Stark himself had allies of his own in that chapter, especially after he helped repair Chapter Master Hyperion's Land Raider during the Siege of Renvas. It was one of his proudest moments actually, refitting a Land Raider in a cave with a box of scraps.

_But enough of introspection…_ Stark thought as he opened a vox link.

''_How's it going Pym?''_

''Two Engine-kills,'' Princeps Pym of the Fire Wasps voxed back as his massive Warlord Titan, the Gigantes Rex, strode over the burning city. Massive weapon emplacements blasted apart ork tanks and entire mobs of greenskins on the ground.

''_What about the tanks?''_ Stark asked.

''Tanks don't count. Any Titan pilot worth his salt can kill tanks,'' Pym sneered.

''_So I take it I'm winning then. Don't worry, drinks are on me,''_ Stark voxed. If there was one remnant of his organic life that Stark stubbornly retained even after his extensive augmentations it was his love for good drink.

Ahead Stark spotted a massive ork gargant. The Gigantes Rex then opened fire at the gargant as the two Titans managed to overload their void shields after a minute of weapons fire. Then Stark swooped in and turned his repulsors to blow off the head of the ork gargant.

The red and gold figure of the Magos did a figure-eight in the air before giving off a salute to Pym's Titan before flying off into another part of the warzone.

''Stark?'' Regulus's voice came over the vox. Stark liked Regulus. He was a little starchy, but Stark would think of no better man to have by your side in battle.

''_Ah, Servius my friend. What can I do for you?''_

''I have a Guard armored battalion in need of support. I'm feeding you the coordinates,'' The Ultramarine told him.

''_Will do Servius. How are things on your end?''_ Stark asked.

''I've already personally escorted the ork warlord leading the invasion to the gates of hell,'' Servius informed him.

''_Ah, excellent. Now let's finish the job. I'm going to need a drink after this.''_

* * *

**Author's Note: **So Captain America is a Space Marine in this fusion. As a super soldier it's really a no-brainer. Making Cap into an Ultramarine seemed like a fairly obvious move to do. I changed his name to something more Roman-sounding though, but I kept the initials.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Here is the next chapter. This introduces Hawkeye and Black Widow. If you spot any grammar or spelling mistakes then please inform me. After this Hulk get's his own chapter.

* * *

**Verties Alpha-2. Segmentum Tempestus. .996 M41.**

The sniper watched the Dark Eldar warriors move through the town with a liquid grace that no human could match. These were inhumanly tall and slender beings, covered in a glossy black armor that was lined with blades and spikes.

The moon of Verties Alpha was just one of the many worlds to suffer Dark Eldar raids. With Imperial resources stretched thin fighting the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Kraken and the expanding ork attacks in nearby sectors, the Dark Eldar had quietly begun to infiltrate the moon. However Fury had his eye on them and had already deployed a stormtrooper brigade along with a few of his…specialists. They had managed to hit the Dark Eldar raiders just as the xenos had begun their deployment into the moon's colony-cities.

The sniper knew much about the Dark Eldar. Personally speaking, he saw them as more loathsome than any other sort of xenos in the galaxy. He had seen Dark Eldar torture chambers and holding pens. Orks and Tyranids were one thing, but these beings had drenched themselves in such evil that even the force of Chaos paled in comparison. They needed to die desperately.

The sniper sighted the head of what he guessed to be the leader and promptly blew out the brains of the xenos squad leader. The corpse of the pirate fell back to the ground as his compatriots quickly noticed him and began moving.

It was unlikely the sniper would have remained hidden for much longer anyway, the Dark Eldar would have probably detected him eventually with their uncanny senses. But he need not hide any longer. He had adequate backup. Quickly and efficiently the sniper headshotted four more warriors as they began to fire at his position. Then at that moment, a massive figure slammed into the ground like a lightning bolt, throwing Dark Eldar everywhere.

With some admiration, Corporal Barton of the 118th Inquisitorial Stormtrooper regiment watched Magni the Space Wolf tear apart the Dark Eldar warriors, bolts of lightning frying the xenos pirates as he swung into them with that hammer.

Barton was well-placed enough to Fury's inner circle to know more about the hammer than just some low level grunts. Privately Fury knew about the old legends of the dead Asgardian gods who once protected humanity. He had spent much time searching for whatever lost remnants of that civilization that he could.

When they found the hammer they were overjoyed to finally hit the metaphorical jackpot. Fury's own personal team of techpriests had gone over it. One of the curious things about the hammer is that evidently only Magni could lift it, Fury brought in a whole team of stormtroopers to attempt to lift it, and none of them could.

They had come up with any number of theories, that this was xenotech or simply a lost human weapon from the Age of Strife. Somebody actually put forth the idea that this actually some sort of unknown magic. The arguments went on and on.

The one thing that they did come to was that the weapon was not a tool for chaos. Indeed it seemed to be an active bane for the daemons of the warp, a fact that had been proved in Magni's initial use of it against the Word Bearers and their summoned daemons. This weapon was capable of immense feats of power. Barton himself had witnessed Magni fling around Leman Russ tanks like toys and summon forth thunderstorms to fry thousands of orks. It was like the stuff of legends happening right in front of his eyes.

It was rather humbling really.

Barton himself was ex-Guard. Born and raised on Cadia, he was selected into the Kasrkin at an early age in his Whiteshield platoon. He quickly rose to become one of Cadia's finest snipers and perhaps one of the finest snipers in the whole Imperium. He had a rare talent that few others could match.

Fury himself had picked out Barton and enlisted him in his personal retinue. It was a good choice and Barton liked it because it gave him access to all sorts of exotic weaponry. The Cadian was highly skilled with all sorts of weapons from bolters, to lasguns to actual bows. Often on his rare free time Barton liked to be dropped into feral worlds for a few days armed only with a bow. It helped test his skills.

The sniper was a rather tall man, around six standard Terran feet with light brown hair and the characteristic purple eyes of the Cadian people. He wore a suit of modified carapace armor painted up in grey urban camo.

''Damn Eldar pirates,'' Magni spat in disgust, his acidic spit burning a hole in one of the corpses. ''A plague upon them!''

''Thanks for the assist.'' Barton shouldered his long-las and walked towards the hulking, black-armored Space Wolf. There was a…aura around the Space Wolf that Barton couldn't quite explain, but things just seemed to change whenever he picked up that hammer.

''Anytime Barton,'' Magni replied coolly. Barton knew that the Space Wolf had his own…issues with the Inquisition, as was usual for his chapter. But Magni was Deathwatch and had already sworn oaths to cooperate with the Inquisition for the time being.

''Glad to kno-'' Barton suddenly whipped out a hellpistol from his holster and blew the head off a single figure sneaking behind Magni. The Space Wolf whirled around, hammer in hand as he spotted the single corpse of a Mandrake.

''Dark Eldar assassins,'' Barton noted. ''Almost didn't spot him. Tricky bastard,'' Out of all the Dark Eldar, Barton found those xenos variants to be one of the trickiest to fight. Not to mention one of the creepiest and most unnerving in his opinion.

''My thanks Barton. I thought I smelled something. This treachery will not go unpunished,'' Magni snarled.

''Oh, we have some assassins of our own…'' Barton trailed off.

* * *

A dozen figures stood around a single field-deployed holo-graph as Dracon Arzek curled his lips in distain as he watched the various figures move across the holo-table. Ghostly blue-white images shimmered as the Dark Eldar Dracon observed the progress of the raiding force. The Dracon and his warriors were in a makeshift command center in one of the mon-keigh cities.

The Kabal of the Black Heart had descended on this mon-keigh moon to harvest slaves for the torture pits, but things had not gone as planned. Arzek's forces had encountered the usual local Mon-Keigh warriors, but they soon ran into bigger trouble.

''What is this?'' Arzek snarled. He watched the image of the strange Mon-Keigh warrior flying around and frying hundreds of his warriors with bolts of lightning. Was it some kind of weather control device? He wondered, or was it something else? Did the humans even have that kind of technology at their grasp?

From the looks of it the being was one of the augmented mon-keigh warriors, but this being displayed powers far in excess of what was previously recorded. Dark lances were barely phasing the mon-keigh as he smashed Raiders and Ravagers to bits.

Behind him moved in thousands of Mon-keigh support troops who rapidly engaged and forced back the Dark Eldar remnants who had survived the initial rampage. His ship in orbit had detected more mon-keigh ships moving in system, doubtless with more soldiers. Overall Arzek decided it was good to cut losses and retreat. He had called his top commanders to find a way out of this situation.

''I do not know my lord,'' One of his Sybarites breathed in nervously. All of his warriors were afraid that they might end up on the torture racks too. Arzek had to find some scapegoat for Lord Vect or else he might suffer that fate.

Then there was a *snik* and one of Arzek's Sybarites fell to the floor, head rolling on the ground as one of the other Sybarites at the command meeting seemed to shift and transform into another figure, it's fake Eldar armor sloughing off like an snake shedding it's skin.

It looked female, although it was covered in a dull black bodyglove that hugged her shapely lithe frame. Her face was completely masked, save for a pair of green goggles and a short sheaf of crimson hair tied in a bob from the back of her head. She wielded some sort of strange sword in one hand that she used to kill the Sybarite.

_An assassin!_ Arzek was surprised it managed to sneak past his bodyguards and security protocols. He like all Dark Eldar, was constantly on the lookout for potential assassins. He drew his twin blades as the figure seemed to blur with inhuman speed.

Arzek never got a chance to do much more as the figure deployed some sort of gun. She fired the gun and immediately the Dracon's nervous systems was affected by a close electromagnetic pulse. The Dark Eldar lord and three of his men went down as the neural shredder did its work.

The surviving Dark Eldar warriors immediately attacked with guns and blades. The single woman then blurred into action, C'tan phase blade ready as a swirling melee ensued. The Dark Eldar were faster than any human, but this being was suitably enhanced to a point beyond what even the Dark Eldar could achieve.

One Sybrarite fell to the ground, bisected from shoulder to hip as another had his sword arm removed before the assassin fired a point blank shot from a wrist mounted digi-laser, blowing out the brains of the xenos pirate.

As the last of the xenos warriors fell to the ground the woman calmly went over to the Dark Eldar Archon and slit his throat before moving quietly out of the area. Doubtless the rest of the nearby Dark Eldar would come looking for her, but by the time they would organize anything the Imperium would be at their doorstep.

The assassin codenamed ''Widow'' had succeeded in her mission. She had found out the Dark Eldar plans and had dispatched the pirate warleader before he could make his attempted escape. With the leadership of the Dark Eldar gone it would be only a matter of time before the Guard swept the xenos from the moon.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I had considered giving Hawkeye a bow and arrow, but I could not think of anything in 40k that would fit that, hence the long-las.


End file.
